The Rise of Ancient Cities...Ch. 4,5,6

The Name Mesopotamia comes from...

• Mountain foothills

• between two rivers

• a region of many problems

• a village name

What caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?

• fighting between villages

• increase in population

• overuse of the soil

• change in the climate

Why were Sumarian communities called city-states?

• they kept written records

• they depended on each other for water

• they were part of one great empire

• they had their own ruler and farmland

How did the Sumerians fix the food shortage problem?

• planted more food

• traded what they had for food

• moved to the south for more land

• built terraces for farming

Why was farming difficult in the south?

• animals ate the plants

• erosion of the soil

• steep hillsides

• lack of rainfall

What caused the rivers to flood in the spring?

• Snow melted in the mountains

• It's the rainy season

• Winds blow in the rains

• ice on the river breaks apart

What is the purpose of dams and reservoirs?

• to protect the villages

• to store water

• to keep water from other villages

• to make fishing easier

Why were levees built?

• to keep enemies out

• to irrigate crops

• to control workers

• to prevent floods

Why was silt a problem?

• it clogged the irrigation canals

• it dried the rivers

• it ruined the soil

• it made the animals sick

Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?

• for safety

• to exchange resources

• to keep the water systems working

• to share the hunting responsibilities